Hectic parleys on for Mayoral elections
Ludhiana, September 6
Though the state government is yet to decide the date for mayoral poll, hectic lobbying is on among the councillors in Ludhiana for the top post.

Patiala: Ex-Minister’s son among contenders
Patiala, September 6
As elections for the post of Patiala Mayor are likely to be held within a fortnight, five Shiromani Akali Dal councillors have started lobbying to assume the role of the royal city’s first citizen.

Amarinder calls for Opposition unity
Jalandhar, September 6
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh today called for unity among various Opposition parties to fight the “anti-people” policies of the state government without compromising on their basic ideologies.

Alarmed, SAD to launch counter-attack
Chandigarh, September 6
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to counter the Congress attack on the government. Insiders said the party high command had directed its district units to start preparing for political rallies in the countryside.

Capt’s offer
Manpreet to meet Left leaders
Chandigarh, September 6
Sanjha Morcha leaders will meet later this week to consider Pradesh Congress chief Amarinder Singh’s offer for a joint protest on September 21. Talking to the media at Sangrur yesterday, Amarinder had said Congress leaders would join the Morcha’s
September 21 protest, if invited to do so.

HC censures Mandi Board
Chandigarh, September 6
In an embarrassment to the ruling alliance in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the no-confidence motion passed against a market committee chairman, allegedly due to differences with “some leader of the ruling party”. Justice Ranjit Singh has also censured the Punjab Mandi Board for its conduct.

Obituary
Hakam shunned commercial trappings
Ludhiana, September 6
A singer who refused to put a price on his art, Hakam Sufi had in him a teacher’s perseverance and an artiste’s insouciance. Not the best combination for the times when art is regarded a packaged commodity, says the singer’s younger brother Nachhatar Singh.

Complaints against power corp flood consumer forums
Chandigarh, September 6
As if pathetic power supply in the state is not enough, the power corporation fails to deliver when it comes to allotting new connections, rectifying wrong billing, changing malfunctioning meters and unjustified disconnections, besides several other works.

Duronto Express re-launch on Sept 11
Amritsar, September 6
A year after the much awaited Duronto Express between Amritsar and Chandigarh was launched, the Railways is all set to re-launch it on September 11 as Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express, which will halt at Jalandhar and Ludhiana so as to make it financially viable.

Few complaints from Punjab, says new NCM member
Chandigarh, September 6
Minorities are not marginalised in this part of the region, Punjab included.
Dr Ajaib Singh, in an interview with The Tribune, said Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh had seen comparatively a small number of complaints, “primarily owing to communal harmony in the region.”Dr Ajaib Singh

SGPC signs pact with Cambridge University
Chandigarh, September 6
The SGPC and Cambridge University have forged a tie-up for PhD research scholarship. An announcement in this regard was made by Avtar Singh
Makkar, SGPC president, at a press conference here today. Sir Leszek
Borysiewiczh, Vice Chancellor of University of Cambridge, was also present.

State farmers in need of pied piper
Patiala, September 6
To save their fields from rodents, farmers in several parts of the state are looking for a pied piper.
Rats attack all crops except cotton. They often dig burrows in sugarcane fields.

Rajindra Hospital plagued with rats
Patiala, September 6
Rats have become a common sighting in Government Rajindra Hospital here. They are freely moving around throughout the campus including the
OPD, ENT Department, Operation Theatre and the labour room.
Rats at the Government Rajindra Hospital. A Tribune photo

Hectic parleys on for Mayoral elections
Ludhiana: Incumbent Mayor HS Giaspura among five in the frayPuneet Pal Singh Gill
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 6
Though the state government is yet to decide the date for mayoral poll, hectic lobbying is on among the councillors in Ludhiana for the top post.

The local Municipal Corporation is the state’s richest civic body, having an annual budget of Rs 741 crore for the 2012-13 fiscal.

Of the total 75 wards, 27 were won by the SAD, 12 by the BJP, 19 by the Congress and 17 by Independents. The elections were held on June 10. As four councillors were elected as MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha elections, the main contest now is being seen between three-time councillor Pal Singh Grewal and outgoing Mayor and five-time member Hakam Singh Giaspura, though Kamaljit Singh Karwal, Jagbir Singh Sokhi and Paramjit Kaur Shivalik are also in the fray.

Among the four councillors elected as MLAs are Simarjit Singh Bains (contested as an Independent but later joined the SAD), Ranjit Singh Dhillon (SAD), Prem Mittal (SAD) and Bharat Bhushan Ashu (Congress).

Sources said the alliance partners Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had reached a consensus on whose way would the top three posts go. While the Mayor would be from the SAD, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor would be from the BJP, it is learnt.

The SAD earlier wanted a Hindu face as its Mayor and it had reportedly zeroed in on senior leader Harish Rai Dhanda. But as he lost the election from ward number 28, the party had to abort its plans. As four Akali MLAs from Ludhiana are also members of the House and enjoy voting rights too, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal may even choose one of them as Mayor. Two days after the MC election, all SAD and BJP councillors had entrusted Sukhbir with the responsibility to select the Mayor.

Besides Sukhbir, former Cabinet Minister Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal, who was recently appointed adviser to the Chief Minister, is likely to play an important role in the Mayor’s selection.

Pal Singh Grewal, a confidant of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, comes from a well-connected family of landowners. One of his brothers is a member of the Punjab Public Service Commission while another is a Deputy District Attorney in Ludhiana. His candidature, however, might be opposed by PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon as both the leaders are said to be arch rivals.

Hakam Singh Giaspura has been a member of the House ever since the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation came into being. He too is a Badal Senior confidant and is hoping for a second term as Mayor.

Kamaljit Singh Karwal, an associate of Bains brothers (MLAs Simarjit Singh Bains and Balwinder Singh Bains), also enjoys the backing of Sharanjit Singh Dhillon. He, however, may face opposition from a section of SAD leaders as he was first expelled from the party and then taken back. He is also one of the main accused in Tehsildar Gurjinder Singh Benipal stripping and assault case and had spent nine months behind bars along with Simarjit Singh
Bains.

Frontrunners

Hakam Singh GiaspuraThe incumbent Mayor of Ludhiana MC, he is a five-time councillor and has been a member of the House ever since it was formed. A Parkash Singh Badal confidant, he is hoping for a second consecutive term.

Pal Singh GrewalConsidered close to Parkash Singh Badal, Grewal belongs to a family of landowners. PWD Minister Sharanjit Singh Dhillon, however, may oppose his candidature as both the leaders are said to be arch rivals.

Jagbir Singh SokhiA former associate of Bains brothers, he parted ways with them during the SGPC poll when his wife was denied the party ticket. He then
joined hands with ex-Minister Hira Singh Gabria, an arch rival of Bains brothers.

Paramjit Kaur ShivalikShe is the wife of Gill MLA Darshan Singh
Shivalik. She is a two-time councillor and has been staking claim to the top civic body post on the basis of hers being a Scheduled Caste as well as a woman candidate.

Patiala, September 6
As elections for the post of Patiala Mayor are likely to be held within a fortnight, five Shiromani Akali Dal councillors have started lobbying to assume the role of the royal city’s first citizen.

Among the frontrunners are incumbent Mayor Ajit Pal Sing Kohli, Punjab Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majthia's confidant Harpal Juneja, Jaspal Pradhan and Amarinder Bajaj (both considered close to Rural Development Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra) and former Minister Harmel Tohra's son Harinderpal Singh Tohra. The contest, however, is likely to be triangular between Kohli, Juneja and Pradhan.

Kohli is banking on the proximity of his family, particularly his father Surjit Singh Kohli (former minister), with the Badals. However, lack of developmental activities in the city and opposition to Kohli's candidature by the Rakhra group are the two main hurdles.

Though Patiala district is dominated by Sikhs, the 50 municipal wards have a majority of Hindu voters. Harpal Juneja, who enjoys close proximity with Majithia, is banking on this factor. "Juneja is hopeful that the Mayor's chair may come his way as the SAD will like to capture Hindu votes in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections," a senior Akali leader said.

A three-time councilor, Jaspal Pradhan is another contender. He is backed by Minister for Rakhra. He was in the race for the post of Mayor during the 2007 civic polls as well. It is learnt that the Rakhra group is lobbying hard for Pradhan.

Amarinder Bajaj, son of SAD Patiala (Urban) president Inder Mohan Singh Bajaj, is another contender. The fifth heavyweight is Harinderpal Singh Tohra, son of former Punjab Minister Harmail Tohra. His supporters are trying to impress upon the party leadership the fact that Harinderpal should be given an opportunity to serve as Mayor so as to keep the Tohra legacy alive.

Frontrunners

Ajit Pal Sing KohliThe incumbent Mayor of Patiala, he is the son of former Minister Surjit Singh Kohli. He is banking upon the proximity of his family with the Badals to secure second consecutive term as mayor.

Harpal JunejaHe is a confidant of Revenue Minister Bikramjit Singh Majthia. The fact that he is a Hindu candidate may work in his favour as a majority of voters in 50 wards of Patiala MC are from the Hindu community.

Jaspal PradhanA three-time councilor, Pradhan is being backed by Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Surjit Singh
Rakhra.

Amarinder BajajHe is the son of Shiromani Akali Dal’s Patiala (Urban) president Inder Mohan Singh Bajaj. He too is considered close to Rural Development and Panchayats Minister
Surjit Singh Rakhra.

Harinderpal Singh TohraSon of former Minister Harmail Tohra, Harinderpal's supporters are trying to impress upon the party leadership the fact that giving him a chance to serve as Mayor would help keep alive the Tohra legacy.

Jalandhar, September 6
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh today called for unity among various Opposition parties to fight the “anti-people” policies of the state government without compromising on their basic ideologies.

Addressing a public meeting here this evening, he said all the Opposition parties had agreed to oppose the “punitive taxes”
imposed on the people of the state.

The PCC president reiterated that he was not calling for a political alliance but a common minimum programme in the larger interest of the people of the state. He said People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Badal’s response to the proposal had been “encouraging.”

Earlier in the day, Amarinder visited Shivali’s family at their residence in Idgah Mohalla here. Blaming the SAD-BJP government for the deteriorating law and order, he demanded the arrest of Inspector Balwinder Kaur Multani for her “shocking” role in the Shivali case.

“Suspension is no
punishment. This is a clear case of abetment to suicide. I wonder why the police top brass is not booking her under the appropriate Sections. Punjab is passing through a phase of complete lawlessness,” said Amarinder who also watched the video footage of the incidents leading to Shivali’s death.

The PCC chief alleged that the Inspector-General of Police (Jalandhar Zone), fearing uncomfortable questions by the National Women’s Commission, had left for Chandigarh yesterday. To a question on former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal’s claim that she had suggested an alliance with the PPP before the assembly poll, Amarinder said this was not true.

On the possibility of an alliance with the PPP, Amarinder said there was no such plan in the offing as yet. . “ Congress leaders feel that there should be a common minimum programme with other parties like the PPP, the BSP, the CPI and the CPM to oppose the ‘anti-people’ policies of the ruling alliance,” he added.

Chandigarh, September 6
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has decided to counter the Congress attack on the government. Insiders said the party high command had directed its district units to start preparing for political rallies in the countryside.

The matter was discussed at a meeting of the SAD core committee here on Wednesday.

The committee reportedly decided to convene a meeting of the party’s main wings, including the executive committee, to discuss various organisational matters and to brief members about the government’s development plans.

Chandigarh, September 6
Sanjha Morcha leaders will meet later this week to consider Pradesh Congress chief Amarinder Singh’s offer for a joint protest on September 21. Talking to the media at Sangrur yesterday, Amarinder had said Congress leaders would join the Morcha’s
September 21 protest, if invited to do so.

Morcha chief Manpreet Badal would meet CPM general secretary Prakash Karat and CPI’s S Sudhakar Reddy and AB Bardhan at New Delhi on September 8. The main agenda would be collaboration with the Congress on various issues.

The Left parties, especially the CPM, have reservations on a tie-up with the Congress at any level. But Manpreet and Morcha patron SS Barnala are in favour of joining the Congress protest on September 7.

Chandigarh, September 6
In an embarrassment to the ruling alliance in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the no-confidence motion passed against a market committee chairman, allegedly due to differences with “some leader of the ruling party”. Justice Ranjit Singh has also censured the Punjab Mandi Board for its conduct.

“The action of the Mandi Board, confirming a resolution, which is not passed by a two-third majority, cannot be appreciated ,” Justice Ranjit Singh asserted in his order on a petition filed by Inderjit Singh. The petitioner was appointed Chairman of the Sherpur Market Committee in Sangrur after the state appointed 15 persons as members on December 30, 2009. The petitioner alleged that differences arose between him and the in charge of the constituency in July 2011. Subsequently, the Market Committee secretary issued a letter on July 6, 2011, calling an emergency meeting the following day, after an application was filed by some members. As many as 14 members attended the meeting. Five voted against the no- confidence motion to remove him. Nine votes were cast in favour of the motion.

This, he asserted, would not constitute two-third majority and the no-confidence motion was liable to be set aside on this ground.

Taking up the matter, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The total number of members is 15. Even if one member has no voting right , he would have to be counted as a member for the purpose of calculating a two-third majority...

“In that event, 10 members would make a two-third majority. Even if that is not to be, nine members out of 14 would not constitute a two-third majority.”

Ludhiana, September 6
A singer who refused to put a price on his art, Hakam Sufi had in him a teacher’s perseverance and an artiste’s insouciance. Not the best combination for the times when art is regarded a packaged commodity, says the singer’s younger brother Nachhatar Singh.

In Sufi’s death, Punjab has lost a singer who, till his last breath, was steadfast in his resolve to keep his music untainted by vulgarity. As a lyricist, he steered clear of bawdy lyrics.

He was employed as a drawing teacher at a village school, 13 km from his native place of Gidderbaha. But music remained his life’s mission. Whenever invited to sing at melas and cultural programmes, he would tell his brother Nachhatar: “Don’t ask for money.”

Too dignified to seek help from any quarter, he remained untouched by commercial trappings. He could not bring himself to tune into the visual melodies that had become a rage post-1980s. Among the trio of actor Mehar Mittal, singer-actor Gurdas Maan and singer Hakam Sufi, it was the latter who found it most difficult to adapt himself to the changed scenario.

Sufi had seen the days when radio and Doordarshan were a favourite with the audience and music was a “sound” affair.

He could not come to terms with the music meant to be seen rather than heard.

Delhi-based singer Ashok Mastie, who belongs to Gidderbaha, says: “Sufi Sahib and Maan Sahib were known to have performed together on stage as well as off stage. Maan Sahib had even admitted that he had learnt to play dafli from Sufi Sahib.”

Recounting an event at which Maan and Sufi had shared the stage, Mastie says the artistes together sung the song they had sung 30 years ago in Abohar. It was an emotionally charged moment for them and they broke into tears on the stage.

Sufi was a fitness enthusiast and his unique sense of humour endeared him to his friends.

He chose to remain single so that he could take care of his family of seven siblings. “He was a father figure to all of us,” says Sufi’s nephew Gagan.

Chandigarh, September 6
As if pathetic power supply in the state is not enough, the power corporation fails to deliver when it comes to allotting new connections, rectifying wrong billing, changing malfunctioning meters and unjustified disconnections, besides several other works.

This is evident from the fact that Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has paid lakhs of rupees as compensation for inadequate service and mental harassment to around 550 complainants in consumer forums of different districts this year alone. More importantly, PSPCL filed appeals against 75 decisions, out of which it lost 53 and ended up paying a higher amount in compensation. Besides, it has to pay litigation charges for contesting the cases in the district consumer forums and the Punjab State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (PSCDRC).

In one such instance, the PSEB, Sangrur, had refused to return Rs 1,60,000 to Gagandeep Kansal on account of excess billing along with fine even as the District Consumer Forum ruled in her favour. She then approached the PSCDRC, which slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on the officials concerned and ordered the authorities to refund of the amount. In another case, the commission pulled up and fined the Hoshiarpur office for tampering with the list of consumers awaiting release of connections. A resident of a village near Pathankot also moved the consumer forum after he was denied a connection while others got out of turn favour.

On a complaint by Bakhshish Kaur of Hoshiarpur, the forum ordered the PSPCL to correct her wrong power bill and compensate her for mental harassment. The list is endless. While delivering the orders, forum members repeatedly make a mention of harassment and mental agony faced by the consumers.

Balir Singh, a resident of Buccho Mandi, said: “The procedural wrangling for different works, including seeking new connections, getting meters and rectification of meter readings, is agonising. There is no single office where the common man can go to get his grievance heard”.

Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) KD Chaudhary said: “The number of complaints is not very high going by the fact that the corporation has lakhs of customers. We have in place a mechanism of listening to the complaints at different levels, starting from SDOs where a majority of the public queries are answered. In some cases, complaints are heard by senior officers”.

Consumer right activist HC Arora said the figure of more than 625 complaints (including those in the commission) in less than a year was definitely high. “This shows that people, in these specific cases, are not happy with the department’s grievance redressal mechanism and arbitration efforts”.

Barring a few private insurance companies, PSPCL is among the entities whose name appears most frequently on the list of cases at the district consumer forums.

Shock treatment

PSPCL is among the entities whose name appears most frequently on the list of cases at the district consumer forums As many as 550 complainants have won cases against PSPCL this year so far Most of these faced harassment at the hands of power corp officials in matters relating to new connections, wrong billing, malfunctioning meters and unjustified disconnections Forum members repeatedly make mention of harassment faced by consumers

Official word

The number of complaints is not very high going by the fact that the corporation has lakhs of customers. We have in place a mechanism of listening to the complaints at different levels, starting from SDOs where a majority of the public queries are answered. In some cases, complaints are heard by senior officers

Chandigarh, September 6
The government has made Vigilance clearance for retiring employees or those seeking promotions simpler.

Under its new policy, the Vigilance Bureau (VB) will prepare a department-wise “negative” list of employees facing an inquiry or against whom an FIR has been registered. The rest of the emplyees will be given clearance immediately after retirement.

Hundreds of employees retire each year.Their service benefit cases drag on for months and at times for over a year. Besides harassment, there were reports of beneficiaries having to pay a bribe for getting clearance.

An official spokesperson said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal had cleared the proposal mooted by the Vigilance Department on the recommendations of a three-member committee comprising the Secretary, Personnel, Anirudh Tiwari, Special Secretary, Vigilance, Arun Sekhri, and Additional Legal Remembrancer (LR) BR Garg.

The spokesperson said the VB would be required to update the “negative” list every fortnight. A copy of the list would be sent to the Administrative Secretary for action.

Under the new policy, an employee seeking Vigilance clearance for retirement/promotion would have to submit a self-declaration regarding his involvement/non-involvement in a case.

The declaration would be examined by the head of the department (HoD) who would tally the information with the VB list. The new policy stipulates a response time of 10 days.

Kapurthala, September 6
Punjab Scheduled Caste Commission chairman Rajesh Bagha has sought a detailed report from Kapurthala SSP about the action taken report in the murder case of a Dalit, Joginder Singh.

Joginder was allegedly beaten to death on Tuesday by his landlord Amrik Singh when he tried to steal vegetables from his fields at Kokalpur village, which comes under the Kotwali police station. Even after two days of the incident, the accused is at large.

SHO Naresh Kumar said, "Police teams raided the accused's house and his other possible hideouts but failed to trace him." An FIR was registered against Amrik Singh under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code and other relevant sections of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act at Kotwali police station.

Joginder Singh had reportedly gone to bring fodder for his cattle when he entered the Amrik's fields. He was allegedly beaten to death.

Amritsar, September 6
A year after the much awaited Duronto Express between Amritsar and Chandigarh was launched, the Railways is all set to re-launch it on September 11 as Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express, which will halt at Jalandhar and Ludhiana so as to make it financially viable.

The decision came after Duronto evoked poor response from passengers who were demanding stoppages at Jalandhar and Ludhiana. However, the Railway authorities were not open to the idea earlier, contending that Duronto was a non-stop train. Later, the authorities gave in to passengers' demand and decided to rename the train as Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express.

Duronto was the first train connecting the holy city with the state capital, but it ran into losses due to low occupancy, forcing the Railways to reduce the number of coaches just a few months after its launch.

Apart from stoppages at Ludhiana and Jalandhar, the train will also witness a change in its fares which will go down as meals will no longer be served to the passengers as was the case with Duronto. The fare for Amritsar to Chandigarh will be Rs 321 for AC and Rs 91 for non-AC, including reservation charges. Similarly, the fare for Amritsar to Jalandhar will be Rs 170 for AC and Rs 53 for non-AC. For Amritsar to Ludhiana, it will be RS 230 for AC and Rs 66 for non-AC.

The train will depart from Amritsar at 5:20 am, reach Jalandhar at 6:12 am, Ludhiana at 7:15 am and Chandigarh at 9:45 am. On return journey, the train will depart from Chandigarh at 6:50 pm, reach Ludhiana at 9:05 pm, Jalandhar at 9:57 pm and Amritsar at 11:15 pm.

The train will halt at Ludhiana for five minutes and Jalandhar for three minutes. The train would cover the distance between Amritsar and Chandigarh in four hours and 25 minutes.

new avtar

Train renamed Amritsar-Chandigarh Superfast Express Fares to go down as no meals will be served to the passengers The train will cover the distance between Amritsar and Chandigarh in four hours and 25 minutes

schedule

The train will depart from Amritsar at 5:20 am, reach Jalandhar at 6:12 am, Ludhiana at 7:15 am and Chandigarh at 9:45 am. On return journey, it will depart from Chandigarh at 6:50 pm, reach Ludhiana at 9:05 pm, Jalandhar at 9:57 pm and Amritsar at 11:15 pm

Chandigarh, September 6
Minorities are not marginalised in this part of the region, Punjab included.
Dr Ajaib Singh, in an interview with The Tribune, said Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh had seen comparatively a small number of complaints, “primarily owing to communal harmony in the region.”

The maximum number of complaints, he said, came from Uttar Pradesh, most of them regarding police atrocities.

A distinguished academician and former member of the Punjab Public Service Commission, Dr Ajaib Singh took over as member of the National Commission for Minorities for a three-year term in the presence of commission Chairman Wajahat Habibullah at New Delhi today.

Hailing from Gobindpura Papra, a small village in Sangrur district, Dr Ajaib Singh said the bulk of complaints that came before the commission were those of police atrocities followed by grievances regarding “discrimination at workplace” on communal lines.

“There are also a number of complaints on communal riots and attacks on religious functionaries,” he said.

Dr Ajaib Singh said as a member of the commission, his endeavour would not be limited to finding a solution to individual complaints, but to go deep into the root cause of the problem and come out with a lasting solution.

Making it clear that there would be “zero tolerance to discrimination of any kind on communal lines”, Dr Ajaib Singh said it was not only against the country’s Constitution, but also weakened the “fabric of communal harmony, which is the backbone of a progressive India.”

Listing his priorities, Dr Ajaib Singh said he would not only ensure the rights of minorities were protected, but also prevent injustice. Regular evaluation of the progress made by the minorities too would be on the top of his agenda.

Efforts would also be made to monitor the working of safeguards provided to the minorities and the laws made by Parliament and state legislatures.

Mohali, September 6
Zirakpur, a town on the outskirts of Chandigarh, is all set to get a major facelift while a nearby village Lalru is to be developed as an industrial hub.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal took the decisions to this effect at a meeting today. He also gave the finishing touches to the master plans of Zirakpur, Lalru and Derabassi.

Sukhbir Badal asked the Urban Development, Country and Town Planning Departments to work in tandem with GMADA to develop Zirakpur according to the sectoral grid plan.

Sukhbir said unplanned construction in the Zirakpur area would not be allowed. He asked Chief Parliamentary Secretary NK Sharma to coordinate with all departments to work out modalities for carving out sectors in Zirakpur and develop inter-sector roads according to the sectoral grid.

Stressing the need for making Zirakpur a model city, Sukhbir Badal asked NK Sharma to submit a plan to upgrade roads, sewer and water supply systems in the area apart from providing parks, sports stadiums and entertainment facilities there.

He said Sharma would also coordinate with the departments concerned to work out a development model for Zirakpur, Lalru and Derabassi.

Sukhbir Badal asked the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Industries, to submit a plan for the industrial focal point at Lalru so that proper infrastructure could be provided to industry to make it an industrial hub of North India.

Mohali, September 6
The Punjab Rural Development and Panchayats Department (PRDPD) today issued charge sheets to 50 primary school teachers, who were chronic absentees.

Balwinder Singh Multani, director of PRDPD, said he had prepared a list of over 100 such teachers, who have been absent from their duties for over one year.

“We have taken action against 50 teachers today and the rest would soon
be issued notices,” said Multani.

Multani said, most of the teachers facing charges had applied for ex-India leave and never returned after that.

“We sent the charge sheets to the given addresses of these teachers. If we do not get a reply from them in time, we would follow procedure to remove them from the posts,” said Multani. The maximum number of such cases, 20 in number, is in Patiala division followed by 12 in Nawanshahr and nine in Faridkot.

Multani said these cases had been lingering on for the past several months. “Today we cracked the whip on these absentees to save the future of the students”, said the director.

Chandigarh, September 6
The SGPC and Cambridge University have forged a tie-up for PhD research scholarship. An announcement in this regard was made by Avtar Singh Makkar, SGPC president, at a press conference here today. Sir Leszek Borysiewiczh, Vice Chancellor of University of Cambridge, was also present.

A maximum of five students will be selected every year for the programme. All expenses, including fee and boarding, totalling Rs 25 lakh per year will be shared equally by the SGPC and Cambridge University. Students who pass out will be required to teach in an SGPC institute for at least three years.

Prof Borysiewiczh said: "Cambridge is not aiming to open campuses anywhere, including India, unlike the current trend. We are looking for academic tie-ups. In India, we have at least 270 active projects in different educational institutes".

Makkar for Sikh Chair at Cambridge

Fatehgarh Sahib: Makkar has urged Prof Borysiewicz to set up Sikh Chair at Cambridge University. Sources said Prof Brysiewicz had assured Makkar that he would discuss the issue with the university management.

Prof Borysiewicz also visited Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University here today and interacted with faculty members and students. Later, he gave away degrees to 443 students at a convocation held at Mata Gujri College.

Patiala, September 6
To save their fields from rodents, farmers in several parts of the state are looking for a pied piper.
Rats attack all crops except cotton. They often dig burrows in sugarcane fields.

Hapless farmers have been trying to tackle the rodent menace. “I attended a camp held at Punjab Agriculture University where rodenticides were given to us. However, the rats keep coming back once the effect of the medicine wears off”, said Jaswinder Singh Garcha who owns land in Patiala and Ludhiana.

Alarmed at the trouble, the PAU has started special camps where farmers are educated on ways to check the growing population of rats.

Dr Neena Singla of the PAU, who has been working on the menace for more than 12 years, said there were three ways of getting rid of the rodent trouble. “A traditional Chinese medicinal plant, tripterygium wilfordii, could prove to be an effective anti-fertility agent in rodents,” she said.

Singla has been holding camps in various parts of Punjab, educating farmers on ways to tame the marauding rodents.

“We can trap them by various means, including rat environmental control (under which a rat habitat is restructured)”, she said, adding that rodenticides remained the most easy way.

Patiala, September 6
Rats have become a common sighting in Government Rajindra Hospital here. They are freely moving around throughout the campus including the OPD, ENT Department, Operation Theatre and the labour room.

“If the rats bite a patient, who has been administered anesthesia, or some newborn child, they can die. This problem of many rats in the hospital can easily lead to an outbreak of plague,” said a doctor.

Medical Superintendent Dr VK Sharda said, the staff had sprayed rodenticide in the OPDs but could not spray it in the operation theatres.